Characterization of leather powder using inverse high performance liquid chromatography

Abstract

Leather powder represents a waste leather material. which has been the focus of value-added product utilization studies for the past two decades. It is hereby studied with inverse high performance liquid chromatography. The surface chemistry of this material is detailed through chromatographic elution studies of a series of solute probes with mobile phases of different pH. Probe molecules, including acids, bases. and neutral markers, were used to study the amino and carboxyl functional groups. as well as hydrophobic sites on leather powder. Capacity factor. chromatographic efficiency, recovery and statistical moments were determined for selected probe molecules. A unique, flow-through method for leather powder characterization has been developcd.